Story of Wedding in Pakistan

The day was warm and the sky was blue as I walked home from school. Many people were in the streets of Islamabad, which is the capital of Pakistan. I was born 13 years ago, and my native country is only 40 years older than I am. Pakistan was once part of the ancient land of India, and it was controlled by England for many years. It was in 1947 that we became the country of Pakistan. Our people are mostly Muslims, and Islam is our official religion. However, there is also a strong influence of the Indian Hindu culture in our society. English is still the official language of Pakistan, but the national language is Urdu. We have many regional languages as well.
Dress in the Muslim world is designed to cover the human body because nudity is prohibited in Islam. Most people wear a kameez, which is like a shirt or tunic with long splits on the sides. It can vary in length, and some have long sleeves and others have short sleeves. The shalwar is like loose trousers, and is worn under the kameez. Some women also wear a sari, which is a piece of cloth draped over their body.
Pakistani people love beautiful designs, and even the trucks are decorated with beautiful patterns and colors. It’s as if all the colors of the rainbow have descended on to the streets of Islamabad. As a matter of fact, many of our homes, like mine, are decorated in bright colors. Most of our people are very creative.
I really like going to school, and I know that I am lucky. Pakistan is a male-oriented society and men have more opportunities than women. All families are headed by the male members and boys are better educated than girls.
As I entered my house, my mind wandered towards the wedding plans of my 17 year old sister. You might be surprised to know that my sister’s husband was selected by my mother and father. This is another tradition handed down to us from the Indian culture. I often wonder what sort of man my parents will select for me. I hope he is handsome and nice!
Everyone in my family was busy getting ready for the wedding. My grandmother and mother were cooking, and I could smell the curry and cumin aromas coming from the kitchen. My father was decorating the handmade vases for the flowers. My aunt was sewing the silk sari, which contained 9 yards of beautiful cloth.
Our weddings have definite rituals. For example, the Mienu comes about four days before the ceremony. After this day, the groom will not see the bride until the day of the marriage. Both sides celebrate this occasion separately at their own expense. The night before the wedding, the bride dyes her hands with henna. The groom’s family brings the wedding dress to her house, and the bride’s family delivers the groom’s wedding attire to his house. When the actual wedding day arrives, it is called a Shadi. Red clothing symbolizes this day. After the ceremony, dinner is served by the bride’s family. Later, the bride leaves her parent’s house to begin a new life with her husband.
Yes, Pakistan is a land of rich traditions. I can't wait until the day when it is my wedding that is being planned. 




 Reference
Photo from  trekearth.com & google.com
artical from coedu.usf.edu